In a Moment, Everything Changed
by Kanna37
Summary: Sesshoumaru's wanted Kagome for a long time - but thinks he can't have her.  Then, in a single moment, everything changed - for the better.


**In a Moment, Everything Changed**

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

~oOo~

Clamping down harshly on desires he knew would never be satisfied, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and swept from the clearing, his brother once again flat on his back, and Kagome glaring at him as she once more assessed the boy's wounds from another absolutely pointless encounter.

Truthfully, the only reason he even bothered confronting his brother was because it was the only way he could see _her_... the only time he could spend in her presence.

And it was killing him.

It had taken all of two times meeting her for him to fall in love with the little miko from the future – and he hated the fact that it had happened, because he knew it could never go anywhere. Even were she _not_ in love with his useless half-brother, he was the Lord – he had to mate a full blooded youkai female – nothing else would be allowed.

It was his duty, and there was no way around that; as soon as he hit his sexual maturity, he would be forced to mate one of those insufferable females that he had no feelings for nor attraction to.

He _hated_ that it was so.

Every time he caught sight of Kagome, every time he caught her scent... he would never, had someone told him beforehand of the pain, believed it, but oh, it _hurt_...

_Father... why didn't you warn me? _

Then he bowed his proud head, and chuckled, an ironic sound. _Oh, but you did, didn't you? Death... was your warning. It hurts so much I almost wish for death, _he sighed. Wearily, the heartsick young dog demon found himself a small copse of trees and leaned up against one for the night, allowing himself to actually sleep for once.

At least in his dreams, he could have a happy ending with the miko named Kagome.

~oOo~

Kagome wasn't as in love with Inuyasha as Sesshoumaru thought... no, actually, she was a lot more in love with _him_, and wishing the two wouldn't fight so much.

Of course, if she knew why he _really_ started all those fights... she'd be ecstatic – but still wishing the two didn't fight so much.

Fate was about to step in and give them both what they wanted so badly...

~oOo~

Sesshoumaru hit his sexual maturity almost immediately following the final battle with Naraku – and within a moment, his whole life was turned completely around, changed, for the better.

Within seconds of his body preparing itself sexually, a problem became apparent – but it was one he immediately became fervently thankful for, because it meant that his greatest dream was now within reach.

He was sterile.

He could feel his youki whispering of this lack within himself, and while most would be horrified, he was ecstatic, instead – it meant that it wouldn't matter who he mated.

His brother would now be required to mate some demoness when he reached maturity, instead, and their pup would be the heir, though he would be required to train it. The only downside, as far as he could see, was that, since he could not give whoever he chose to mate a child, she would be allowed to seek another to do so should she wish to have one.

_If she will even accept me, _he thought to himself ruefully, _after all I have said and done to them all._

_First things first, _he decided, informing his council of his sterile state so that they could summon his brother. _I'm going to do this by the book..._

When Inuyasha arrived, breathing fire and spouting curses and trailing his companions, just as Sesshoumaru had hoped, he graciously put them up in the most beautiful rooms, and then proceeded to spend as much time with the beautiful young miko that had stolen his heart as he could.

All hell broke loose when Inuyasha found out _why_ he'd been summoned, though.

"All my life these fuckers either haven't cared that I existed, or actively tried to kill me, and now that that bastard-" he pointed at Sesshoumaru, "-can't make any _more _bastards, _now_ I'm important? But only long enough to knock some bitch up, and then I'm supposed to hand over my pup to that fucker so he can torture it? _Fuck no_!" he shouted. "I ain't doin' it!"

Kagome could understand his anger, but she could also understand that he didn't really have much choice in this matter – these were his family's holdings, and since his brother couldn't have children, it fell to him. But something he said bothered her... she turned to look up at Sesshoumaru with horror... "He has to give you his child?"

The daiyoukai shook his head. "It is not quite what you think, Kagome," he said softly, trying to pull his mind back to business from its happy home thinking about her. "Inuyasha would be presented with a selection of eligible females on reaching his maturity, and, choosing one of them, would be required to mate her." He eyed her, hoping dearly that this would not hurt her; it did not appear to.

"I know... you have been in love with him," he said softly, "and I am sorry that this-" he was cut off as she laughed.

"No, no. I love Inuyasha, true, but not like_ that, _not anymore_,"_ she assured him.

"Good, I am most pleased to hear that," he said. "In that case, once mated, he and his mate and pup would live here, and once the pup was of age, I would be required to train him for the stewardship of these lands."

Inuyasha, despite the appearance to the contrary, had been listening, and his brothers words had calmed him greatly – in fact, his brother's words had gotten his attention quite well and had gotten him to _thinking_.

He was taking this _way_ too calmly.

Most youkai would be having a cow.

It was _shameful_ to be sterile. You certainly didn't talk about it all casually, and especially not when it involved bringing in your HALF-DEMON brother who you'd always despised, and giving the title to his son, who would only be three quarters youkai, and would carry one quarter human blood.

Nope, something was up with that.

He eyed his brother suspiciously.

"Okay, out with it, Sesshoumaru. What are you getting out of this?" he asked coarsely, and Kagome glared at him, embarrassed at his manners.

"_Inuyasha!_" she hissed. "Jeeze! What, do you think he's after Tessaiga or something again? Always so suspicious! I mean, its straightforward! This is something that has to be done, not something he gets something out of."

"Actually, Inuyasha is correct, in a manner of speaking, Kagome," Sesshoumaru admitted, shocking her; she turned wide blue eyes on him as Inuyasha narrowed his own on his brother.

Sesshoumaru held her gaze quite unashamedly as he admitted, "I was quite thrilled to find that I was sterile. It was the only way, you see, that I could have my hearts desire." He eyed Kagome's shocked countenance carefully; not seeing any anger, merely surprise, he continued.

"I have long been in love with a certain non-youkai female, yet, had I been potent, I would have been forced to mate a youkai female and would have lost any chance to mate the woman I love," he said quietly, stunning both his brother, and Kagome. "This has given me great joy, yet there is still a chance she will refuse me, since she may not return my feelings. Even if she does, I cannot give her children," he finished, watching Kagome carefully.

Inuyasha was watching _him_ just as carefully, and, not being as stupid as people always accused him of being, put two and two together and got four. Shaking his head, he looked over at his best friend and realized, from her sad expression, that she _hadn't_ gotten four – yes, he knew she had feelings for his bastard of a brother – and decided to interfere, taking the direct approach.

It was payback, plain and simple, for years of his brother's 'direct approach' interference in _his_ life.

"Kagome, stop lookin' like your best friend died, he's talkin' 'bout you, stupid. Sesshoumaru, don't be an idiot, she's got the hots for you, and no, she won't turn you down just 'cause you can't have kids, you'll just have to adopt. Neither one of you is going to reject the other – and the only reason I'm gonna agree to do this whole mating some demon bitch thing is 'cause Kagome will make sure you don't mess my pup up too much, you stupid bastard," he finished sourly, chuckling after a moment as Kagome reddened with shocked embarrassment and Sesshoumaru rumbled with the first happy laughter Inuyasha had ever heard from him.

It might be in the most screwed up way he could ever have imagined, but Kagome would end up giving him the one thing he'd always dreamed of having – a family, and horror of horrors, that would end up including his ass of an older brother, too.

The fates were _sick_.

Kagome wasn't sure she believed her friend's horribly embarrassing words – until the beautiful Dog Lord he called brother turned and looked down at her with the most tender look she'd ever seen on his face – and then leaned down to kiss her.

The minute his lips touched hers, and she opened them, submitting, life, as she knew it, ceased to exist – at least, until Inuyasha's annoying voice pulled Sesshoumaru away from her, and then she wanted to kill something for the first time in her life – namely, Inuyasha.

When the hanyou caught the look in her eyes his ears snapped flat to his head and he fled the scene, his brother's laughter echoing in said ears.

Kagome glared after him for several moments, then blushed as Sesshoumaru caught her chin in an elegant finger and turned her back to face him. She still managed to avoid looking at him directly by looking down, her heavy lashes sweeping her cheeks darkly. He smiled... _she's so beautiful, and she has no idea what she does to me, _he thought. _She will soon, though..._

"Mate with me, Kagome?" he asked bluntly, almost pleadingly. "I cannot give you children, and truthfully, it would be your right to lay with another of your choosing to gain a child," he admitted painfully, "and though it would kill me, I would be willing to endure it for the chance to claim you as mine. It is the only way I can have you, so I will take it, if you will only say yes, and take this demon, half the male that I am. I may be half a male, though, but I would be all _yours,_ if you would but have me," he whispered to her, and her heart melted.

"Sesshoumaru," she said, finally looking up at him, her eyes meeting his, "you are not _half _of anything. So you cannot have children – the gods made you that way for a reason. It's a small price to pay for us to be together, and I could never bring myself to sleep with someone I didn't love just to have a child." She shook her head, her expression faintly uncomfortable. "No... you don't have to worry about that. I won't be having any children – if you can't give me any, then I just won't have them. While that will make me sad, I'd be a lot more unhappy without _you_, so that's the end of that discussion, okay?" she said, finger over his lips as he attempted to say something at her words. After a moment of searching her eyes, he reluctantly nodded.

"Good." She removed her finger. "Now... as to your question-" she blushed, "-the answer is yes."

He cocked a brow at her. "Question?"

Her blush deepened; she looked at him, almost insulted as he chuckled.

"Ah, yes, that question," he acknowledged after a moment. "So... your answer is...?"

She smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru, I will mate with you."

His growl of triumph was heard by the entire palace, and Inuyasha surprisingly enough, was quite happy for his brother...

And his soon-to-be new sister.

He wasn't, however, looking forward to his _own_ sexual maturity, and being inu, and hanyou on top of that, it could come at any time.

Yippee.


End file.
